Maybe I am getting ready to be done with facebook. I miss my livejournal, but I have too many other accounts too.

I miss livejournal. FB scares me. This is a test of the secret broadcasting system.]

Dear internets. Please make a mix video combining Trio's Da Da Da with the "Two Twin Boys Having A Conversation" video. You will want to autotune the latter. That would please me greatly.

This



and this

Date(s) & Time(s)::

December 9, 2010 4:30 PM

Location: 15223 S Henrici Road, Oregon City 97045

Phone: 503.632.3113

Sat December 4
Reindeer Visit: See Santa’s reindeer and enjoy complimentary cookies and hot apple cider at Dennis’ 7 Dees Eastside Garden Center (6025 SE Powell Blvd) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

- Forest Grove’s Holiday in the Grove 2010 this Saturday with caroling, arts and crafts, Santa and a holiday light parade beginning at 5:00pm.
- Hillsboro Holly Days celebration this Saturday from 2:00pm – 4:00pm with holiday tree lighting, Santa and refreshments.

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What: Join Santa Claus and his elves for a magical ride behind Portland’s famous steam locomotives along the Springwater Corridor
Where: Starts at Oaks Park Station, 7100 SE Oaks Park Way
When: Saturday, December 4, hourly from 10 AM – 8 PM
Cost: $16 adults, $10 ages 3-12

What: Come see live reindeer at Dennis’ 7 Dees. Have your picture taken with the reindeer and enjoy some cider and cookies.
Where: Dennis’ 7 Dees, 6025 SE Powell Blvd.
When: Saturday, December 4, 10 AM – 5 PM
Cost: Free!

What: Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto. With over 500,000 lights, 150 choral performances, a petting zoo, carolers, puppet shows and hot chocolate this is a special event for the whole family.
Where: The Grotto, 8840 NE Skidmore St.
When: November 26 – December 30 (except Christmas)
Cost: $8 general admission; $4 for kids aged 3-12; free 2 and under.

What: A sensational display of lights and animation spanning the track at Portland International Raceway. Enjoy the largest drive-through light show in the Northwest right from the comfort of your own car.
Where: Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd.
When: November 25 – December 26 (check the website as there are some closures in this period); Sundays – Thursdays, 5-9 PM; Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 PM
Cost: $16/car

What: Join Portland Spirit for a Cinnamon Bear Cruise. Based on the Cinnamon Bear radio serial and book, this two-hour cruise has become a holiday tradition. You and your kids can enjoy holiday treats while a cast of fanciful characters entertain you with storytelling, music and magic.
Where: Portland Spirit dock at Salmon St. and Naito
When: Saturdays & Sundays, December 4-19, 10 AM - Noon; and 2 - 4 PM except December 5 (3 - 5 PM); December 20-27, Noon - 2 PM (except December 25)
Cost: Adults $28; Kids ages 1-12 $20; free under 1

- OMSI First Sundays offers admission for just $2 this Sunday, 9:30am – 5:30pm.
Queen Anne Victorian Mansion;
Winter Wonderland at Portland International Raceway;
Wenzel Farm Christmas Fantasy Trail; z Dec 3rd to Dec. 29, 2010 Adults $4 kids $3.50 12 and under

19754 South Ridge Road
Oregon City, Oregon 97045
(503) 631-2047

and Providence Festival of Trees.

*Theme Music- the theme song and opening credits can make or break a show for me. Here are some shows with excellent theme songs: 6 Feet Under, Monk, Star Trek, Psyche, BJ and the Bear, House, Life on Mars, The Office When they FIRST started, E.R. and that other hospital show were about the same, but E.R. had a better theme song. E.R. won and started getting a bigger budget and better writers etc. I don't like Spongebob Squarepants, but the theme song is excellent.
*Writing- particularly dialog. If the dialog doesn't sparkle, the show is just not going to thrill me. The show can be shallow fluff but if the writing is good I will enjoy it.
*Cleverness- there should be something clever about it, either in its humor or in making me think or grappling with difficult social issues or providing a puzzle to solve.
*Attractiveness- it really does make a difference that the sets and people on the show be nice to look at, all other things being equal. Castle is a good example of this- the writing is decent, the theme song is ok, it's clever at times, but what really sets it apart from other shows is that it's pleasing to the eye. They use a lot of aerial shots of New York, and the opening credits are beautiful. One of my favorite things about Miami Vice is that they filmed inside a lot of interesting houses and used lens filters or colored lighting to achieve really stunning visual effects. The plots were clever too, but there was always a certain aesthetic pleasure to watching that show.

cross posted to FB

Guest Post: Save Me From Myself, Skinny Jesus Chef!

In other news, Parkour open house tonight in Beaverton .
www.revolutionparkour.com/academy

This is for tragerstreit 

www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/peeps-recipes-how-to-make-peepshi-sushi-rice-krispies-treats-easter.html

This is actually Really Good Advice:

We get most of our books on tape from the library. Brian gets some from audible.com and librivox.org. Sometimes we buy them at goodwill. When we find them at the "bins" they are a super good deal because it's priced by the pound there. Most of these can be found in the YOUNG ADULT section of the library.  Anyway, here are some good ones:

*Sarah Vowell- Assassination Vacation (excellent) Wordy Shipmates (Good)
*David Sedaris- Just about anything he writes, but Me Talk Pretty One Day is particularly good
*J.K Rowling- Harry Potter- wonderfully narrated, great for long car trips
*Robert Lewis Stevenson- The Body Thief and other tales (they have this one at the Humboldt main library in Eureka)
*Lemony Snickett- Series of Unfortunate Events series The Carnivorous Carnival gave us a nickname for Charlotte: Chabo the Wolf Baby
*Kathleen O'Dell- Ophie Out of Oz This is a great book for kids who move because it's about a girl who moves to Oregon with her family and has a rocky start.
*Garth Nix- Keys to the Kingdom series
*M.T. Anderson- Feed- Young adult dystopian future
*Cory Doctorow- Little Brother
*Edward Bloor- London Calling A kid gets to do an independent study project about WWII- oh, and there are time traveling ghosts, or are there?

That's a smattering, what are some of your favorites?